After intense negotiations between the United States and Iran, four Americans imprisoned in Iran have been moved to house arrest. This development is part of a deal aimed at releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds in South Korea due to sanctions.
The White House confirmed on Thursday that the prisoners—Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz, and an unidentified fourth American—have been transferred from Tehran’s Evin Prison. A fifth American, whose identity has not been disclosed, was already under house arrest, according to an unnamed official familiar with the negotiations cited by CNN.
All of these detained Americans have Iranian heritage, but Iran does not acknowledge dual nationality.
Iran also acknowledged the transfer of prisoners and stated that the deal involves a significant sum, estimated at $6 billion to $7 billion, which has been frozen due to sanctions. The United Nations mission indicated that the funds would be routed through Qatar before reaching Iran, assuming the agreement proceeds.
The timeline for completing the entire process remains uncertain. However, reports suggest that the transfer of money and the eventual release of the five detainees could occur in the next month or so, given the complex nature of the financial transactions, as per the Times of Israel newspaper.
Jared Genser, a US-based lawyer representing one of the prisoners, expressed cautious optimism about the development, highlighting that this may be the first step toward their ultimate release. However, he emphasized the absence of guarantees about the future.
Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations stated that the release of prisoners is a part of a humanitarian cooperation agreement mediated by a third-party government. They view the transfer of prisoners out of prison as a significant initial step in implementing this agreement.
The US and Iran have had no formal diplomatic ties since 1980, conducting official communications through indirect channels. The negotiations for this release were primarily brokered by Oman and Qatar, with additional assistance from the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Switzerland.
The US State Department has urged that the Americans must be allowed to depart Iran promptly to reunite with their loved ones.
The individuals involved, such as Siamak Namazi, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison on alleged spying charges, have faced lengthy detentions. Iran has indicated that it seeks the release of Iranian prisoners held in the US in return.
Post Your Comments